Coin-controlled game-table cover.



J. M. STIVERS. G01N GONTROLLED GAME TABLE COVER.

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APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1907.

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J. M. STIVERS. GOIN GONTROLLED GAMB TABLE COVER. APPLIGATIONFILED sEPT.z5, 1907,

Patented Sept. 27, 1910.

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FAKE M. STIVERS, OF OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR T0 THE STIVEB/S AUTO'A MATIC COVER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF COLORADO.

COIN-CONTROLLED GAME-TABLE COVER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAKE M. S'rrvnns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oklahoma city, in the county of Oklahoma, Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Coin- Controlled Game-Table Covers, of which the following 1s a full, clear, and eXact description, reference being had to the drawings hereto anneXed.

The object of this invention is to provide automatic means for securing payment for the use of game-tables, such as pool-tables and billiard-tables.

In carrying out this object, a cover is provided for table, said cover being adapted to cover the game surface of the table in a manner to prevent its use for playing purposes, and protect it from dirt and dust.

A coin receptacle, which is fully shown and described in my copending application, Serial No. 350,97 3, filed January 5, 1909, is supported upon the table, upon the wall, or at any other suitable point in the room, to receive the coins, and this cabinet contains mechanism controllable by the introduction of a coin intov the cabinet for removing the table cover from covering position, for determining the time that the table shall remain uncovered, and for moving the cover back to covering position. The cabinet mechanism contains an electrically-driven motor, hereinafter referred to as the cabinet motor, and a currentcontrolling` switch, hereinafter referred to as the cabinet switch. The table also has associated with it an electrically-driven reversible motor, hereinafter referred to as the table motor, and a current-controlling switch, hereinafter referred to asv the table switch; the cabinet motor and switch being Wired into circuit with the table motor and switch in a manner to control the table cover by the introduction of coins of proper value.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a fragmental side elevation of a pool or billiard table, showing the improvements attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a fragmental plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectional view, taken on the line 3-3, of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is an inverted plan view, showing the cover-moving apparatus, and table motor and switch for controlling the same.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 25, 1907.

Patented Sept. 27, 1910.

serial No. 394,495.

in arranging the cover for the table, and its controlling mechanism, carriage-guiding rails 130 are provided and attached to opposite sides of the table. Each of these rails is provided upon its exterior face with an under-cut groove 131 in which a sliding footpiece 13:2 is adapted to travel. Each of the foot-pieces 132 supports a cover-supporting standard 133 which is made self adjustable in height, said standards being slidably mounted in said foot pieces 139. and said standard, taken with its mating standard of the opposite rail, supports a roller 13st transversely of the table around which a cover member of cloth, felt, or other suitable flexible material is wound.

One of the pintles 136 of the roller 13st is mounted stationary on its supporting standard 133, and revoluble within said roller, said pintle being operatively connected with and adapted to revolve said roller by a long helical spring 137 encircling said pintle inside said roller. 1n setting this spring for action, it is wound or placed under tension for revolving the roller 134 and gathering up the cover 135 as said roller is carried from uncovered to covered position over the table, and the unwound end of said cover 135 is secured permanently at one end of the table. Then, as the two standards 133 are moved along their rails 130 from covered to uncovered position the roller 134 will wind up the cover 135 around it, said roller and its wound cover finally dropping over the end of the table into a supporting trough, as shown by the dotted representations 135" in Fig. 1.

1n carrying the roller 134e back toward covering position, the cover 135 unwinds therefrom, revolving said roller against the action of the spring 137 and lying flatly upon the common cushion-rails 138 of the table without]disturbing any game balls that may lie upon the table surface.

To move the standards 133, flexible cables 139 and 14:0 are secured to opposite ends of the foot-pieces 132, upon each side of the table, said cables lying within the grooves 131 and passing over pulleys 1-11 at the rail ends. After passing over the pulleys 141, the cables pass back under the rails 130 to a point centrally thereof, where they pass over pulleys 142 and down obliquely to and over like pulleys 143 secured to the table. The cables then pass horizontally to and around a twopart. drum 144 whose shaft 145 is journaled in bearings 146 on a cast-metal plate 147 secured to the under face of the table. rlie cables 13S), which draw the standards 138 for uncovering the table, are wound around one portion 14S of the drum 144, while the cables 140, which draw the parts for covering the table, are wouncL around the other portion 149 of said drum, in the reverse direction the cables 139 being wound up fully on the drum when the others 140 are fully unwound.

To take up the slack or expansion of th-e cables, one portion of the drum 144 is mounted revolubly on the shaft 145 with relation to the other portion, said portions being operatively connected together by a ratchet mechanism comprising inclined teeth 150 on the end face on one portion, and a spring-actuated pawl 151 on the end of the other portion to engage said teeth.

The portion 148 of the drum mounted loosely upon the shaft 145 is operatively7 connected with said shaft by a helical spring 152, said spring' being placed under tension and so set as to maintain a taut condition of said cables, and the expansion taken up by said spring is retained by the ratchet mechanism aforesaid.

To drive theA drum 144 for uncovering and covering the table, an end flange 153 of said drum is formed into a worm-gear wheel, and is driven by a worm pinion 154 on a small shaft 155 journaled on the cast plate 147. The outer end of this shaft 155 is provided with a belt pulley 156 which derives motion, through a belt 157, from a similar pulley 15S on the shaft of the reversible table motor A switch 160, referred to above as the table switch, and comprising two stationary guiding and supporting blocks 161 secured to the plate 147 with a sliding block 162 between them,l is mounted upon said plate 147, the blocks 161 supporting nine different pairs of circuit terminals, and the sliding block the contact-bars 225 for connecting said terminals.

A lever 164 is pivoted over one of the blocks 161 in position to have its end 165 move over thc sliding block 162, and a small rod 166 is pivotally secured to said end 165, the free end of said rod passing slidably through a pivoted stud 167 on the plate 147. A helical spring 168 which embraces the rod 166 is interposed between the end of the lever 164 and the stud 167, the effect of said spring being to hold said lever to the limit of its swing on one side or the other of a dead-center line Z-Z.

The sliding block 162 has riveted to it a metal cleat 169, and as the end of the lever 164 is flipped from the dead-center line Z-Z to the limit of its throw it strikes one of the projecting' ends 17 0 of said cleat and quickly shifts the switch 160 for passing the current over different circuits.

yEhe shaft 145 is screw-threaded, and a traveling tubular carriage 171 embracing this shaft is engaged by the screw threads and adapted to travel from one end to the other thereof as the drum 144 is revolved for uncovering and covering the table. r1`his carriage 171 is provided at its ends with stops 172, and the end 173 of the lever 164 projects between and in the path of said stops in such manne-r that when said carriage is moved from one end to the other of its throw it moves said'lever across the dead-center line Z4Z, said lever then flipping to the limit of its throw and quickly shifting the switch 160.

rEhe stops 172 are in the form of screw nuts engaging the screw-threaded exterior of the carriage 171 for adjustment of their position, so that in fitting the parts to game tables of different lengths said stops can be set to shift the switch 160 exactly at the instant that the table is completely covered or uncovered. Lock-nuts 174 are provided to lock the stops 172 in adjusted position.

r1`he carriage 171 is provided with an arm 175 whose free end is bifurcated and straddles a guiding' bar 176 supported from the plate 147 to keep said carriage from revolving with the shaft 145.

When the switching mechanism described is setto cause the current to flow through the motor 230, drum 144 is revolved to unroll the cover from the latch through the cables 139 and 140. Simultaneously the shaft 145 is rotated, and, by reason of the threads thereon, moves longitudinally the carriage 171. Said carriage 171, by engagement with the lever 173, when it has reached its limit of movement in one direction, actuates the switch to Stop the motor when the cover is removed. 115th the renergizing of the motor through the mechanism described in my companion application hereinbefore mentioned, while the switch mechanism is in the position above attained, the drum 144 is rotated in the opposite direction to spread the cover, until the switch mechanism is thrown into the position shown in Fig. 4, when all circuits are broken and the table is in its inoperative position.

The foregoing being a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, what 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An automatic cover for game tables, comprising, in combination with a table, a cover, a carrier movable over said table to support said cover, and means to spread and remove said cover, said spreading and removing means comprising' motor actuated drums below said table having operative connections with said carrier.

2. An automatic cover for game tables, comprising, in combination with a table, a cover, a carrier movable over said table to support said cover, and means to spread and remove said cover, said spreading and removing means comprising oppositely wound drums having endless connections with said carrier and adapted to automatic actuation.

3. An automatic cover for game tables, comprising, in combination with a table, a cover, a carrier movable over said table to support said cover, and means to spread and remove said cover, said spreading and removing means comprising oppositely wound drums having cables extending transversely across the latter to its edges and thence longitudinally to its ends and to said movable earriers, and a motor adapted to drive said drums.

1. An automatic cover for game tables, comprising, in combination with a table, a cover, a travelingl roller adapted to spread or remove said cover, means for causing said roller to travel from end to end of said table transversely thereof, said means comprising a series of cables in connection with said roller, drums located below said table, and having cables directed thereto from opposite sides of the table and wound thereon, motive power for said drums, and means for starting and stopping said motive power.

5. An automatic cover for game tables, comprising, in combination with a table, a cover, a mechanism for rolling and unrolling said cover over said table, said mechanism consisting of a traveling roller for said cover disposed transversely ol said table, movable carrying means for said roller, winding drums located below said table, flexible connections wound on said drums, and connected to said roller carrying means, and driving means for said drums.

G. An automatic cover tor game tables, comprising7 in combination, with a table, a cover, a carrier movable over said table to support said cover, means to spread and remove said cover, and means to rock said carrier to a position below the upper plane of said table.

7. An automatic cover for game tables, comprising', in combination, with a table, a cover, a carrier movable over said table to support said cover, means to spread and remove said cover, means to rock said carrier to a position below the top of said table when the cover is removed, and means to support said carrier in said lowered position.

8. An automatic cover, for game tables, comprising, in combination, with a table a cover, a carrier movable over said table to support said cover, endless operating moans to actuate said carrier, and means for moving said carrier to a position below the top of tho table.

Witness my hand this 9th day ot' September, 1907.

JAKE M. STIVERS. Witnesses z F. M. JOHNSON, F. L. GRIFFIN. 

